AMA anything about MY opinions/beliefs

BrenMan 94 · November 20, 2014, 02:29:31 PM

I have insecurities about not being more popular on this site and I demand your attention. Plus I guess you could say I'm passionate (?) about political and scientific discussion.

AMA

More Than Mortal · November 20, 2014, 02:54:57 PM

Do you think the private sector can completely satisfy our "needs" for scientific research at every level, without some sort of disequilibrium entering the situation if the government were to stop funding scientific research or give grants to universities?

Also, do you think there's an appropriate monetary regime for the central bank while we have one? Or do you view every option as equally bad, and simply think we should strive towards free banking ASAP?

The Lord Slide Rule · November 20, 2014, 03:12:10 PM

Scientific discussion eh. . .

Your feelings on String theory. Will it ever be Popper falsifiable or should string theorists just let it go?

How do you feel about our ability to gain a *real foothold in outer space and turn our species into a solar system spanning one and what do you feel are the most important technological developments to make that happen.

I'll need two 3 page essays by tomorrow.

More Than Mortal · November 20, 2014, 03:39:55 PM

Quote from: SexyPiranha on November 20, 2014, 03:12:10 PM

Will it ever be Popper falsifiable

Do you hold that to be the sort of epistemic threshold?

The Lord Slide Rule · November 20, 2014, 03:44:47 PM

Quote from: Meta Cognition on November 20, 2014, 03:39:55 PM

Quote from: SexyPiranha on November 20, 2014, 03:12:10 PM
Will it ever be Popper falsifiable
Do you hold that to be the sort of epistemic threshold?

To me the ability for a model to produce falsifiable predictions is how a scientific theory is differentiated from metaphysical musing.

BrenMan 94 · November 20, 2014, 07:28:26 PM

Quote from: Meta Cognition on November 20, 2014, 02:54:57 PM

Do you think the private sector can completely satisfy our "needs" for scientific research at every level, without some sort of disequilibrium entering the situation if the government were to stop funding scientific research or give grants to universities?

I do. There are already independent foundations funding scientific exhibitions. And honestly I think that an institution run by scientists would have a better idea about what scientists need than policymakers.

Quote

Also, do you think there's an appropriate monetary regime for the central bank while we have one? Or do you view every option as equally bad, and simply think we should strive towards free banking ASAP?

We should strive toward free banking, but while there is a central bank it'd be idiotic to say that that bank shouldn't have a monetary regime. I just believe that it does more harm than good, and that markets should dictate the value of currency, not government.

DAS B00T x2 · November 20, 2014, 07:29:44 PM

Quote from: SexyPiranha on November 20, 2014, 03:44:47 PM

Quote from: Meta Cognition on November 20, 2014, 03:39:55 PM
Quote from: SexyPiranha on November 20, 2014, 03:12:10 PM
Will it ever be Popper falsifiable
Do you hold that to be the sort of epistemic threshold?
To me the ability for a model to produce falsifiable predictions is how a scientific theory is differentiated from metaphysical musing.

eh... I... what?

The Lord Slide Rule · November 20, 2014, 07:43:29 PM

Quote from: DAS B00T x2 on November 20, 2014, 07:29:44 PM

Quote from: SexyPiranha on November 20, 2014, 03:44:47 PM
Quote from: Meta Cognition on November 20, 2014, 03:39:55 PM
Quote from: SexyPiranha on November 20, 2014, 03:12:10 PM
Will it ever be Popper falsifiable
Do you hold that to be the sort of epistemic threshold?
To me the ability for a model to produce falsifiable predictions is how a scientific theory is differentiated from metaphysical musing.
eh... I... what?

The first and most important requirement a scientific theory must meet is that it must produce predictions that you can check. If the predictions are wrong the theory can be discarded, if the predictions check out, however, it still has other requirements to meet and ideally should keep making falsifiable predictions.

The Lord Slide Rule · November 20, 2014, 07:46:47 PM

BrenMan 94 · November 20, 2014, 07:48:13 PM

Quote from: SexyPiranha on November 20, 2014, 03:12:10 PM

Your feelings on String theory. Will it ever be Popper falsifiable or should string theorists just let it go?

I believe string theory to be the best explanation for our universe (and possibly other universes). The only qualm is that a lot of popular string theory hinges on the Higgs boson, which (in my opinion) has yet to be found. The current smallest particle lies between the thresholds of super-symmetry and instability, so in that regard we're kind of at a dead end until more testing can be done next year.

Quote

How do you feel about our ability to gain a *real foothold in outer space and turn our species into a solar system spanning one and what do you feel are the most important technological developments to make that happen.

I'm not a huge fan of Halo-like human colonization of other planets. What I'd like to see is a way for us to extract resources from extraterrestrial bodies and use those resources to advance life here on Earth.

The Lord Slide Rule · November 20, 2014, 08:33:14 PM

Quote from: BrenMan 94 on November 20, 2014, 07:48:13 PM

Quote from: SexyPiranha on November 20, 2014, 03:12:10 PM
Your feelings on String theory. Will it ever be Popper falsifiable or should string theorists just let it go?
I believe string theory to be the best explanation for our universe (and possibly other universes). The only qualm is that a lot of popular string theory hinges on the Higgs boson, which (in my opinion) has yet to be found. The current smallest particle lies between the thresholds of super-symmetry and instability, so in that regard we're kind of at a dead end until more testing can be done next year.

Quote
How do you feel about our ability to gain a *real foothold in outer space and turn our species into a solar system spanning one and what do you feel are the most important technological developments to make that happen.
I'm not a huge fan of Halo-like human colonization of other planets. What I'd like to see is a way for us to extract resources from extraterrestrial bodies and use those resources to advance life here on Earth.

Are you referring to supersymmetry? The Higgs boson has been by all accounts found, it was never necessarily a prediction of string theory anyway. Supersymmetry, which is a generic requirement/prediction for most models of string theory(not all, this plays into one of my main problems w/string theory) has not however. One of my main problems w/string theory is the fact that it seems to be able to predict whatever you want it to. I don't see how that sort of theory can be falsifiable. That and over reliance on anthropic reasoning by a number of theorists is questionable to me.

In reply to your statement about space colonization, I have to disagree. The idea that humanity can go on surviving, hoping for our own security on this one rock is questionable to me. In fact, real quick, look up an emerging method of manufacturing in zero g. That's going to be important. People will follow the industry.